Best PS4 Games of February 2019
Jump Force
Jump Force is basically a dream come true for fans of action anime and manga, bringing together the most iconic Shonen franchises for one high-octane fighting experience. There are tons of franchises represented in Jump Force, including, Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto, Fist of the North Star, My Hero Academia, Dragon Quest, City Hunter, HunterxHunter, and more.
Jump Force features an original story that brings all these characters together, fusing their worlds with that of Earth to stop a mysterious force bringing all the universes together. The story will even feature original characters and villains created by Akira Toriyama, the man behind Dragon Ball itself.
In terms of gameplay, Jump Force is very similar to what you’d see in a game like Dragon Ball Xenoverse, but even more ridiculous and over-the-top. It’s a 3-vs-3 tag team fighting game that lets you swap between characters on the fly, and each one has a different moveset based around their fighting style or special abilities.
Each character has a crazy transformation, called an Awakening, that can super-power them in battle and bring about some bombastic visual effect. Examples of this are Goku going Super Saiyan, Ichigo from Bleach going into Hollow Mode, Deku from My Hero Academia going Full Cowling, Yugi from Yu-Gi-Oh summoning Slifer the Sky Dragon, and more.
Despite some awkwardness with the game’s realistic art style, Jump Force looks like it could be the anime crossover that fans have wanted for years.
Best PS4 Games of February 2019
Metro Exodus
The Metro games have been something of a cult-classic shooter series for years now, with a unique blend of survival elements, paranormal storytelling, and a fantastic setting in the Metro tunnels under Russia. Metro Exodus does continue the story of series protagonist Artyom, but it marks a big change.
Exodus pushes things into the open world realm, having players make their way out of the tunnels and onto the surface of Russia. The story is loosely based on the novel Metro 2035, and gives you a moving train called the Aurora as something of a home base, as Artyom travels with the Spartan Rangers.
The game is split into a mixture of linear levels and open world zones, rather than being one hundred percent open world. There’s still a big emphasis on survival, maybe more than ever, as you’ll have to scavenge for ammo and supplies and upgrade your worn down weapons with materials you find.
There’s a dynamic weather system that can heavily affect gameplay and your combat abilities, something you’ll always need to keep in mind while fighting off the mutated creatures on the surface.
Metro Exodus looks like a bold way forward for the franchise, but it still seems to have all the horror elements and uniqueness that the series has been known for. It’s definitely one any shooter fan will want to keep an eye on.
Best PS4 Games of February 2019
Left Alive
With Kojima exiting from the series and Metal Gear Survive being a huge flop, it’s possible we may never get another great Metal Gear game again.
However, Left Alive looks like it wants to claim the spotlight in the niche of stealth action games, and there’s more than a few comparisons you can draw between it and Metal Gear.
Left Alive is a spinoff of the Front Mission franchise, set in the war-torn country of Novo-Slava in 2127. You play as three different characters trying to survive a catastrophic military invasion of Nova Slava, by an enemy empire. There’s a big emphasis on choice in Left Alive, both in gameplay and story.
Of course, you can approach every situation with stealth or action, but that choice applies to the narrative. Do you save a group of civilians being executed, or conserve valuable ammo that you might need later on? There are a handful of choices to make, all while you scrounge to survive against enemy soldiers and giant mechs.
That sure sounds a bit like Metal Gear. To add even more on, character designs and artwork is being done by Yoji Shinkawa, the legendary artist behind the Metal Gear series, and the game’s director is Toshifumi Nabeshima, the director of the Armored Core series.
There’s been a serious lack of stealth-action and mech games lately, and those are both gaps that Left Alive could fill.
Best PS4 Games of February 2019
Steins;Gate Elite
Steins;Gate has gone down in history as one of the best anime series of all time, with a gripping plot, fantastic character development, and quality animation. Now, developer 5pb is looking to bring anime fans into the visual novel fold, while also doing something unique for the genre.
Steins;Gate Elite is a fully animated visual novel, using all of the footage from the anime series, as well as brand new original animation. If you don’t know about Steins;Gate already, the game tells the story of Okabe Rintaro, a self-proclaimed “Mad Scientist” who accidentally discovers the secret to time travel with a microwave.
The animation plays out along with the script and voice acting from the original game, which should end up being a pretty original experience in terms of visual novels. It’s a great way for fans of the anime to experience the entire story and plotlines they didn’t see, while fans of the visual novel have a brand new way to play it.
If you were ever curious about visual novels, Steins;Gate is one of the very best, so now’s the perfect time to try it out.
Best PS4 Games of February 2019
Anthem
BioWare is one of the most storied developers in the industry, bringing hit after hit over the years, from Knights of the Old Republic to Dragon Age Origins. Although their last title may not have hit the lofty expectations set by their earlier games, Anthem presents a bright opportunity for the studio, something entirely new.
BioWare’s history is mostly based on single-player RPGs, and Anthem breaks that mold completely by being a multiplayer and co-op shared world shooter, similar to Destiny. There is, of course, a story that you can play entirely on your own, but the emphasis is on four-player squad co-op.
Anthem takes place on a world “unfinished by gods,” where the only thing standing between humanity and destruction is a faction called the Freelancers. You have to don a Javelin suit, something akin to an Iron Man suit, and explore the hostile planet you’re on.
Gameplay and shooting looks much smoother than what we’re used to in BioWare games, and Anthem is an action-RPG by every definition. The four different Javelin classes provide for a ton of variation, and the ability to seamlessly switch between the ground and flight sounds like a dream come true for any mecha or superhero fan.
Anthem is one of the most promising games of the entire year, but it’s also one of the biggest question marks. Still, a brand new BioWare IP is definitely something to take note of.
Published: Feb 1, 2019 02:13 pm